Router Table Top

[dlktdr]

I have finally got far enough along on my CNC build to actually cut a part today. As you can see in the photo it's pretty much hacked together just so I could try it Excuse the mess of my shop. I also included a photo of the controller I built for it.

I'm not sure how to go about the CNC table top and was looking for some feedback. I figure there is a couple ways to go about it.

1) Build a steel framework and just put a piece of mdf on the top, securing the material with clamps screwed into the plywood.

2) Buy a T-Slotted Table top

3) buy a Steel/Aluminum Sheet and have it drilled and tapped in a 6" grid for clamping.

4) Find more servers

How have some of you done yours?

[CarveOne]

We normally have steel box tubes tying the sides together and the MDF (or other material) table top is supported by those tubes. I see that your machine is bolted to the concrete floor. That's good, but maybe not enough to prevent shaking.

Btw, your control box wiring is too neat. That'll never work.

CarveOne

[PaulRowntree]

That is an interesting build; I like the wide stance of the gantry supports! Are the X-rails captive, or do you count on gravity to keep it down? Will you have a build log to provide details?

[dlktdr]

The X rails are for now relying on gravity to keep it down. I had started this build with the intention of just using it as a plasma / oxy fuel table, but then found a router motor online so I figured why not attach it, so I may have to add a couple more bearings to hold it down or replace it with a linear guides ideally.

I still have to add more material to the back of the gantry to make it more rigid and all the trays for the power track so gravity should do a decent job holding it down.

I am going to make the steel table support structure bolted the the lower tube on the rails and add some crosses down to another set of posts in the middle. I will probably start on that this week. If I use MDF surface how are you clamping down your material, just screwing it?

I haven't kept a good log of this build, I started blogging it at www.powerautomation.net and will get back to filling it in when I get some time.

[adprinter]

I built a angle steel frame, using 2"x2" angles, and mounted 1"x1" square steel tubes to act as the support frame of the table top. I then mounted 3/4"x3.5" aluminum slats, spaced about 5/8" apart (to yield a T Slot type table surface). I then mounted small bearings onto the ends of 1/4" thick x 2" wide steel flat stock, which ride along the inner surface of the outer 2x2 angle frame. This "jacks up" the flat stock to within 0.040" of the bottom surface of the aluminum slats. I then drilled, and tapped 1/2" 13 TPI holes between each of the slats to allow an almost infinite range of adjustability along the table surface in terms of using hold-down clamps, guide fixtures, drill press vises, etc. I was thinking of milling the top surface of the aluminum slats, for an absolute flat table surface. However, most of the time I end up mounting a spoil board to the table, and just mount the work piece to the spoil board with wood screws. The slats average about 0.010" to 0.040" in relation to each other of being perfectly flat already, so it's usable as is. (The slats are mounted to the square tubes with counter sink bolts, tapped into the top surface of the square tubes). It has provided a VERY sturdy surface, which is versatile- there are a total of 3 cross-braces of the square tubes, with 2 of the tapped flat stock pieces between each cross brace (total of 8 flat stocks- think T Nuts with table-wide mounting widths). Hope this description helps, but for a better understanding, see the MyCNCoriginal.pdf elsewhere in the DIY Router Table forum.

[dfmiller]

I went with an Aluminum extrusion top on my machine thinking it would be great to clamp to.
To date I am using the T slots to hold down the MDF spoil board that I screw my work pieces to. ;-)
For most routing applications you will want a spoil board. T slots are great but you need to figure out how to use both at the same time. My plan is to put some slots in the spoil board to use the T slots. I must get around to that soon.

BTW nice looking build going. It should not move around much. I think t few diagonals might be in order when you get the gantry moving around.

Dave